On Thursday 8 June 2023, Tom Holland announced that he would be taking a year-long break from acting. In other words, he’s off on his gap year, switching the big screen for a sunbed and the chance to go and find himself.
The decision comes after the trauma he experienced while filming for his last role in Apple TV+’s new series The Crowded Room. Playing a rapist with 24 different personalities, Holland (understandably) left the set struggling with his mental health and unable to leave the role behind him, even confessing that he was seeing parts of himself in his character.
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So, as he takes time out of the spotlight, or at least tries to, what does the 27-year-old’s gap year mean for his style? Will he head down the Surrey-rah-rah-where’s-my-backie route and scoop up some elephant print harem pants or will he take after his gorgeous girlfriend and Spider-Man co-star, Zendaya? Let’s hope for the latter.
Zendaya and Holland have been officially dating since 2021 and are probably the most wholesome couple in Hollywood right now. Together, their booed up style is equally as adorable. They even pay subtle tributes to one another in their clothes. Holland is regularly spotted with an embroidered ‘Z’ on his jeans back pocket. Meanwhile here we are getting excited over a simple text back… It’s the bare minimum girls, am I right?
After the Spider-Man: No Way Home press tour in 2021, it’s clear that the couple are no strangers to travelling the world together. So, finding themselves in South-East Asia would be a reasonable next step in their relationship. At premieres, Zendaya stuck to the movie’s theme in a glittering spiderweb bedazzled gown, while Holland coordinated in a chocolate coloured suit. They may have to lower their style standards as ballgowns are unlikely to fit in their backpacks.
Originally from Kingston, Holland’s South-West upbringing really comes out in his street style. Baggy jeans and some kind of colourful trainer are staples in his wardrobe as he walks his pooch in the local park. He certainly has that laid-back, nonchalant approach to his style down to a tee.
Zendaya, on the other hand, was born and raised on the other side of the pond in California, and compared to Kingston, Cali style could not be more different. When she’s not prancing around the red carpet dressed to the nines or starring in Louis Vuitton campaigns, Zendaya sticks to sharp, tailored looks for her street style. The Euphoria star is a big fan of a tailored suit with stiletto heels—heels that do in fact make her at least a foot taller than her significant other, a detail we simply can’t get over.
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With his year off, Holland has more time to spend with Zendaya. So not only are we hoping for more cute couple pics on their respective Instagrams, but we’re also hoping for a crossover in their London and California aesthetics, which we’ve already started to catch glimpses of in the past.
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On previous trips to Holland’s local pub, Zendaya fully embraced the great British pub fit so she’s bound to be taking on the Guiness challenge in no time. While his time away from acting might bring less red carpet couple moments, perhaps Zendaya will introduce Holland to her LV family and join forces on a couple collaboration for the French fashion house? How else are we going to get our daily dose of Tomdaya?
On a much deserved break from filming The Crowded Room, Holland told The Guardian that he “disappeared and went to Mexico for a week and had time on a beach and laid low.” And of course, a gap year wouldn’t be a gap year without relentless Instagram dumps of golden hour beach pics. In Tomdaya’s case, we definitely won’t get bored of them. We can’t wait for matching swimsuits and wine and dine date night looks—after all, Zendaya can make even a bin bag look unreal.
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Holland has been known to hit a few rounds on the golf course on his time off. But don’t panic, he definitely won’t be going for golf in a traditional sense, and by that I mean salmon pink polo shirts tucked into white chino shorts. Instead, we’re hoping for oversized vintage argyle knitted vests and some vintage sunnies to block out the unwanted stress of his career.
Holland’s break from acting is completely understandable and mental health has to be everyone’s priority, particularly when it comes to emotionally stressful careers. Tomdaya are no strangers to working hard so a bit of time off is much deserved. As he hits pause on movies, hopefully he goes all guns blazing when it comes to his fashion.